Alessandro Michele - Designer, Creative Director of Valentino

[Fashionstuff]

I don’t think we can compare Karl and Alessandro. To be fair, Chanel in 2018 doesn’t look like Chanel in 2015. We can’t compare someone with a 50+ years career and a relative newcomer.The narrative might be the same but for better or worse, there are some difference.

I can compare JWA and Alessandro and now, same time frame and all, the gap is huge.

But Gucci is just overexposed. They don’t produce in small quantities...There are just too much stuff. They might have the most insane product reference in the business right now.

A think a reset or touch of fresh air could help Michele on a long term...The same for Demna.

Eventually, people will be tired of their aesthetic and they needs to move on. But in fashion, in order to lead the conversation, you have to move on while on top.


He surely didn’t meant something disrespectful. Except for Stefano Gabbana, I don’t know who can do this kind of things.
But the comparison and all felt ignorant. It’s just a fact.
The reality is that designers nowadays are not doing interviews « like that ». There’s the PR somewhere and certainly they are checking the interviews before it’s published. This is what is done for those big brands...
Unless you’re Karl or Tom aka mastermind media manipulators, you can’t really do interviews « freely ».

Karl is years and years long on the top and there were/are always the mainline or red line which wend and going through his collections. (i think Chanel 2015 was better than 201 Demna is more a hype , imo.
They don't produce so much, a lot of different pieces and it seems like they produce too much. It is 4th year now but still happens that some items are out of stock/sold out . Do you remember the first collection and Cruise after, they didn't have so many items and everything was sold out, lol.

I have to admit that i was surpised too , seems as nobody from PR (or he by himself) didn't read the interview before. Me, too, pretty sure that he didn't mean something disrespectful.


Stefano Gabbana is No Go, damn, all what he did, said, wrote ( does, says, writes, lol) his comments and chats which Diet_Prada posted , but c'mon, Stefano's comment under Kardashians family post. OMG...
Seems that D&G have no time for design but only for apologize in last 12-10 years.. they commited a lot, you don't have to be a fashion "expert" because all what you need it's a Google and Wikipedia, to choose about which "apologize" you want to recherche, it is really crazy...

 

[jeanclaude]

Why his work has to feel fresh?

Because fashion is dynamic system, not a static one. You have to keep launching new things to stay relevant in this system; because if you don´t do it, then customers begin to feel bored and look elsewhere for that newness that feeds fashion.

And let´s no mistake having a signature style with being a "one trick pony". The first means launching new products following a certain aesthetic and way of making things, always evolving while keeping a precise path...the second is just trying to hide the fact that you are unable to evolve as a designer and make new things.

 

[Fashionstuff]

i'm sure he knows what dirty/clean means and ghetto/bourgeois
i also doubt he had ill intent, he's just your typical case of an ignorant italian, but someone from gucci PR isn't doing their job right

I think that your "typical case of an ignorant italian" is disrespectful.
First of all if you don't speak english perfectly because it is not your mother language it doesn't mean you are ignorant. And Alessandro doesn't live in english speaking country to start speak perfect english and easily find the perfect words to describe his ideas or visions.. Surely somebody from PR didn't do a perfect job because they left intervieiw without reading the content before.
Second is that you a priori gave all italians as ignorant people. Isn't it too much?
What do you mean under :" your typical case" , english isn't my mother language, so it means i'm ignorant too, all , who weren't born in english speaking countries are ignorant? And the persons who speaks english because their mother language but they aren't bilingual (as minimal bilingual) , in which category you will drop them?

 

[Fashionstuff]

Because fashion is dynamic system, not a static one. You have to keep launching new things to stay relevant in this system; because if you don´t do it, then customers begin to feel bored and look elsewhere for that newness that feeds fashion.

And let´s no mistake having a signature style with being a "one trick pony". The first means launching new products following a certain aesthetic and way of making things, always evolving while keeping a precise path...the second is just trying to hide the fact that you are unable to evolve as a designer and make new things.

Can you do better than Alessandro Michele? He repeated many times that he is a Storyteller. I see a lot of new products and the "old" ones, as customer i like it. Until people are buying and love it , Michele's Gucci is safe. And i don't want to change my complete wardrobe every few monthes. Seems that i'm not alone, because how Lola701 wrote, Gucci is overexposed , their products are very exposed , the customers simply love it. , There are many new items, you can find everything, from elegant till sporty. Same for leather goods and shoes. They are fur free, it was a risk but they did it.
The quality is perfect, the tailored pieces are fiting perfectly. There are monochrom and there are colourful, there are sneakers and loafers and high heels and elegant classic mens shoes.
Nobody knows how long Michele's Gucci will stay on the top but i read one review, seems they are planning to take the 1 place in 2019 , seems they are still second behind the LV but i hope for them they will be first in 2019.

 

[Lola701]

They don't produce so much, a lot of different pieces and it seems like they produce too much. It is 4th year now but still happens that some items are out of stock/sold out . Do you remember the first collection and Cruise after, they didn't have so many items and everything was sold out, lol.

Of course they have some styles that are sold out and produce some of their products in small quantities (everybody does that).
About the first few collections, the offer was different. The shows were more focused, more edited and Alessandro’s proposition was fresh.

Today, it’s a different story. They have enough stuff to feed all the Outlet stores they have around the world.

 

[jeanclaude]

Can you do better than Alessandro Michele? And i don't want to change my complete wardrobe every few monthes. Seems that i'm not alone, because how Lola701 wrote, Gucci is overexposed , their products are very exposed , the customers simply love it.

First, this is a thread to talk about Alessandro Michele, not about me. He is the Gucci creative director right now.

Creating new things doesn´t mean changing your wardrobe every season. When I say "new" I don´t mean making groundbreaking clothes that make a rupture in the whole fashion industry. "New" here means being able to identify clothes from each collection a designer launches, something that is not possible in Gucci right now.

If you see clothes from Tom Ford at Gucci, you can easily identify to what collection they belong. He was able to launch new collections every season, while keeping a recognizable signature. And customers didn´t feel like they had to throw away the clothes from his previous collections, because they fit perfectly with the new ones.
And yes, I know Tom Ford is the past and yadda, yadda, yadda...I´m just talking about him here as an example.

Being overexposed is a double-edge sword in the fashion industry. In the short run you can get all people´s attention...but in the long run you get burnt easily, as customers get bored of the same thing over and over again.

 

[Fashionstuff]

First, this is a thread to talk about Alessandro Michele, not about me. He is the Gucci creative director right now.

Creating new things doesn´t mean changing your wardrobe every season. When I say "new" I don´t mean making groundbreaking clothes that make a rupture in the whole fashion industry. "New" here means being able to identify clothes from each collection a designer launches, something that is not possible in Gucci right now.

If you see clothes from Tom Ford at Gucci, you can easily identify to what collection they belong. He was able to launch new collections every season, while keeping a recognizable signature. And customers didn´t feel like they had to throw away the clothes from his previous collections, because they fit perfectly with the new ones.
And yes, I know Tom Ford is the past and yadda, yadda, yadda...I´m just talking about him here as an example.

Being overexposed is a double-edge sword in the fashion industry. In the short run you can get all people´s attention...but in the long run you get burnt easily, as customers get bored of the same thing over and over again.

You can identify clothes , every single collection is different but same time similar and if you see a piece you can say from which collection this piece is. I can do it .( And not only with Michele's Gucci but more designers and brands, not every brand and not every collection )

In the time of social medias, more Instagram than another platforms, you can't control it,the customers, the followers of the brand and of Michele are loving it and they share, so in this case it is a "psitive overexposing" bc the customers are sharing it means they are not tiered and seems like they want more and more. I don't know what will be in the future. But in 2019 Gucci will take the top, i am pretty sure about it.
Gucci is more popular now than in 2016 and 2017.
Gucci has 31,2 millions followers on Instagram Balenciaga only 8,4 ( Kering Group)
LV has 29,2 millions . Dior 23,1 millions ( i don't understand why Dior mixed beauty and clothes on one feed, they have Diorbeauty and Diorskincare too but the brand needs a new CD , hahaha, CD need new CD)
Versace 15,8 millions ect.
Chanel has 32,2 millions ( also theý habe Chanel.beauty but using the "Main" Chanel for beauty products.
So, seems that Michele's Gucci plays in the same league with Chanel and LV and Michele is only 4th year a CD of Gucci. (About revenues we talked yet , i think under another thread few monthes ago )
It is not a must to like Michele's Gucci but seems as half world like ,me too, i love his Gucci, lol. it is obviously clear

 

[Fashionstuff]

Of course they have some styles that are sold out and produce some of their products in small quantities (everybody does that).
About the first few collections, the offer was different. The shows were more focused, more edited and Alessandro’s proposition was fresh.

Today, it’s a different story. They have enough stuff to feed all the Outlet stores they have around the world.

Surely , too much collections. And , yes, i liked the first shows more, or i like shows in Milan more than the last two.

 

[jeanclaude]

You can identify clothes , every single collection is different but same time similar.

It´s the same, there are no differences. Just basic clothes with tons of embellishments over them. I can´t tell how many times I have seen "L´aveugle par amour" embroidered in different collections...and then we have the Gucci logo using the SEGA font, the "GUCCY" fake logo...this is more about stylism and graphic design than about actual fashion design. Feels more like a merchandise collection than a fashion collection to me.

And about all those number you give from Instagram followers, you have to take into consideration that there is a business of fake followers too, we don´t know how many of those million followers are really true people. There are a lot of undercover marketing strategies going on IG, so just seeing the numbers doesn´t give you the whole picture of it.

But anyway, if you like Gucci, it´s ok. Enjoy it! I am just not into it.

 

[dsamg]

Gucci owner Kering was on Tuesday the latest company to share some goods news from the Far East with its investors. The French company posted a 25 per cent jump in reported sales to €3.8 billion ($6.1 billion) in the fourth quarter of last year, with Gucci's Asia-Pacific sales growth motoring along at an annual rate of 45 per cent.

afr

Forget the slowdown - Chinese shoppers are still in the lap of European luxury

No matter what you think of Gucci, the results are stellar

 

[reese06]

I wonder if their recent blackface controversy will have an effect on sales this quarter.

 

[Lola701]

I wonder if their recent blackface controversy will have an effect on sales this quarter.

I don’t think so...
Even more considering their collaboration with Dapper Dan.

I wonder if it can have an influence on the creative side. It’s time to maybe have a more focused and less theatrical vision.

 

[jeanclaude]

No matter what you think of Gucci, the results are stellar

Who cares about results, when their clothes are boring and repetitive as hell?? And when Michele is nothing but a glorified one-trick pony stylist!

McDonald´s make more money than your nearest good restaurant...does that make them better?
Hollywood keep making crappy super-heroes films which are total blockbusters...are they better than "Death in Venice" by Visconti, just because they make lots and lots of money??

There are people so poor, all they have is money!

 

[grimm]

I wonder if their recent blackface controversy will have an effect on sales this quarter.

I think it will. The likes of 50cent burning his Gucci clothes on instagram... that will have a huge impact. It feels almost as if this could be a real turning point. The knives are out!

 

[Deleted member 130879]

I think it will. The likes of 50cent burning his Gucci clothes on instagram... that will have a huge impact. It feels almost as if this could be a real turning point. The knives are out!

Those who buy Gucci don't care about 50Cent. And Dapper Dan is still on their side, "showing them the true Harlem". I think they will continue to grow for a few years until the next trend comes and the scandal will have zero effect on sales.

 

[Lola701]

Any black American celebrity who will attend the next Gucci show better be prepared for a big social media backlash. ASAP Rocky comes to my mind...even more considered that he is both tied with Gucci & Prada.

 

[Benn98]

US Vogue May 2019

Where the Wild Things Are

Photographer: Tierney Gearon
Stylist: Lawren Howell
Hair: Caile Noble
Makeup: Geoffrey Rodriguez
Cast: Alessandro Michele, Charli XCX



US Vogue Digital Edition

 

[eugenius]

Ugh. I can never trust that guy to be a tastemaker in mens fashion.

Anybody remember when Parker Posey was on "Will and Grace"?

"Not only do I want to fire him. I want to fire him, pull his hair, rehire him, and then fire him again."

 

[Benn98]

Gucci growth slows on poor US demand, with Kering shares falling

Kering shares are still up more than 20% in 2019, but its Gucci and Bottega Veneta brands are seen as relatively weak spots

18 APRIL 2019 - 12:34
SUDIP KAR-GUPTA AND SARAH WHITE

Paris — Kering shares retreated sharply on Thursday after signs of slowing growth at the French luxury group’s Gucci brand, particularly in the US.

Analysts homed in on Gucci’s performance as one of the main reasons for the share price drop, after Kering’s first-quarter update released after Wednesday’s market close showed US growth cooling at Gucci, which accounts for some 60% of group sales.

The stock, which had hit a record on Tuesday ahead of the update, was down 3%t by 9.25am GMT, lagging rivals such as Louis Vuitton owner LVMH, and Italian luxury jacket maker Moncler, which also traded lower.

Gucci, with annual sales surpassing €8bn, has outperformed most of its peers in the past two years thanks to a flamboyant revamp under designer Alessandro Michele. That trend remained intact, with the brand posting first-quarter comparable sales growth of 20%, still higher than Vuitton and a touch above what some analysts had expected.

But investors have grown accustomed to Gucci beating forecasts by a wide margin, and its slowdown was partly due to a weaker performance in the US. Leather goods specialist Bottega Veneta also disappointed.

Gucci’s latest sales growth of 20% was less than 28% three months earlier, and down from nearly 50% at the start of 2018.

“There were two dark spots ... Gucci US decelerated to 5% organic sales growth and Bottega Veneta was back down at minus 9%, down more than in previous quarters,” JP Morgan said in a note.

On Tuesday, Maybelline mascara maker L’Oréal also pointed to a surprisingly weaker US backdrop.

US pressures

Asked about US pressures, Kering CFO Jean-Marc Duplaix said on Wednesday that the year-on-year comparison base there was very high, while the economic environment had softened a little. But there is no “specific concern so far”, Duplaix told analysts. Clients in North America tend to spend more on clothing and shoes than handbags, a category that is expected to grow faster this year, he added.

JP Morgan analysts noted a falling US stock market at the end of last year could have fed through to consumer spending in the first quarter.

Duplaix did not quantify any impact from an outcry over a sweater Gucci quickly pulled from sale and apologised for after some consumers said it was racist. The black roll-neck featured large red lips cut out around the mouth area.

Kering is still seen as one of the luxury industry’s best performers, thanks to Gucci’s strength in thriving markets such as China and despite an overhaul at Bottega Veneta.

“Management said that growth for Gucci in March was in line with January and February combined, which we see as reassuring,” RBC Capital Markets said. “Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen continue to shine, while Bottega Veneta’s difficulties in a transition year are not enough to offset the positives.”

Reuters

 

[Lola701]

I bet Daniel Lee will have to design less ugly shoes...
Inevitably, Gucci’s growth will slow down as The creative direction has been redundant since 2016/2017.

It’s maybe time to stop the madness and return to the quirky elegance of his first two shows.

Vuitton’s direction has evolved from the very wardrobe oriented to a more fashion and bold offering. Michele seems to be stuck.